We're talking about computer hacking. So Richard, what exactly do we mean by hacking? Accessing a computer without authorisation.我们今天要谈的是电脑骇客行为。那么，Richard，我们所说的 hacking（骇客行为）到底是什么意思？就是未经授权访问电脑系统。

So why is it in the news? Well, there's been a huge attack recently – a DDoS attack.那为什么最近上新闻了呢？因为最近发生了一起大规模攻击——也就是 DDoS 攻击。

Hold on, hold on. DDoS? Which is? A Distributed Denial of Service attack. Explain what that means.等一下，DDoS？是什么意思？它是“分布式阻断服务攻击”。你解释一下那是什么吧。

We're hosted on a server.我们的网站托管在一台服务器上。

Right. It happens to be in Germany.对，这台服务器刚好位于德国。

Now, if millions and millions of people throughout the world all typed on their computer to get into our website, it would completely take the website down.如果全世界有成百万上千万的人同时试图访问我们的网站，网站就会完全瘫痪。

Because? It can't handle so many people accessing our website at the same time.为什么？因为服务器无法同时处理这么多访问量。

So is that a kind of hacking, though?那这算是一种骇客攻击吗？

Well, it is the way it was done because, obviously, you can't just get millions of people to attack a website, can you?是的，根据他们的做法来看算是。因为你不可能真的叫到上千万的人同时去攻击一个网站，对吧？

No. So what the hackers have done, they created a piece of malware.没错。所以骇客做了什么呢？他们制作了一种恶意软件。

OK, OK, that is bad software, isn't it? Yes. We've all, we've heard of viruses and worms, etc.好，好，恶意软件就是坏软件，对吧？对。我们都听说过病毒、蠕虫这些东西。

Malware is the generic term. And with this malware, they took control of millions and millions of computers. And those computers then attacked these websites.“Malware” 是所有恶意软件的统称。骇客用这种恶意软件控制了成百万上千万台电脑，再利用这些电脑发起攻击。

And who did these computers belong to? Just normal, everyday people?那这些电脑原本是谁的？就是普通人的电脑吗？

Well, that's the interesting thing about this attack. When you have this network of bad computers, it's called a botnet.嗯，这次攻击有个很有趣的地方。当你有一大堆被感染的电脑时，这网络叫做“僵尸网络”（botnet）。

But the interesting thing about this attack is that they were all, they're called the Internet of Things.而特别之处在于，这次被控制的设备很多属于所谓的“物联网设备”。

They're computers like, for instance, controlling fridges or webcams or garage doors.这些设备包括用来控制冰箱、网络摄像头、车库门之类的小型电脑。

They're all these little bits of, little computer-like instruments that are throughout the world now. And they took control of these.它们都是一些遍布全球的小型电脑装置，而骇客成功控制了这些装置。

How did they take control of things like that?那他们是怎么控制这种设备的？

Well, all of these things, they're connected to the Internet. And often people, they have the default username and password, which this piece of software could easily guess.因为这些设备都连着网络，而很多人从来不更改默认的账号和密码，恶意软件很容易就破解了。

And that's how it, that's how they did it.他们就是靠这种方式入侵的。

So who's doing this, Richard?那到底是谁干的，Richard？

A very good question. No one knows.这是个好问题。没人知道。

Now then, because it's such a big attack, some people immediately suspected governments, Russia or China.因为攻击规模巨大，有些人马上怀疑是某些政府，例如俄罗斯或中国。

Because they're attacking well-known websites, aren't they?因为目标是知名网站，对吧？

They were well-known websites based in the US of A. Right.这些都是设在美国的知名网站。没错。

So that was why they thought it might have been foreign governments. But then it could also have been even teenage hackers in their bedroom.因此有人认为可能是外国政府所为。但也有可能只是青少年骇客在自己房间操作。

And also, there are cyber criminals involved as well.此外，还有网络犯罪分子可能参与。

Because cyber criminals harness these, as I mentioned, botnets to blackmail companies.因为网络罪犯会利用这些“僵尸网络”来勒索公司。

They say to a company, we are going to attack your company unless you give us lots of money.他们会威胁公司说：“给钱，否则我们就攻击你的网站。”

So there are lots of cyber criminals as well.所以网络犯罪分子也非常多。

Now, we're a fairly small site, Richard. Are we safe?我们的网站相当小，Richard。我们安全吗？

I hope so.我希望如此。

But having said that, our website did go down for two hours a